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EFFECT OF RESERVOIRS ON THE FLOOD. 17 the east end of the dam, and the discharge was led away from the toe of the embll-nkment by a canal constructed for that purpose.' Mr. C. E. White, superintendent of the water division of the Beaver Park Irrigation Co., gave the following account of the fail- ure of the reservoir (see PI. III,.I1) : The storm of JlIne 3 began at the reservoir about 7 p. m. At that time tbe water in the reservoir stood 7 feet below the spillway level. By 4,30 u, m, June 4 the run-off above the reservoir lill!ed the reservoir and the water hogan to run over the spillway, By 7,30 a. m, the spillway was discharging 1,;,00 second-feet, and in addition the large outlet gate was opened halfway. At 5.30 p. m, the water flowing over. the spillwa:y had fallen 9 inches, and it was be. Iieved the flOOd hlld been successfully passed. 'fwo hours later. at 7,30 p, m, June 4, the water flowing Over the spillway begun to rise again and continued to rl"e at the r:lte of a inches an houro At tbls time the large outlet gate w,,,, opened will", as ,,'ns "Iso a by-pass gate baving a capacity of 88 second-feet. 'I.'be watl'r droppell slightly about 9,30 a. Ill. .June 5, and shortly afterward the water appeared to gi ve a sur!:e and ov',rtopped the dalll for about 75 feet nlon!: Its middle ;;ectlon. At this time ilhe water flowing over the splllway was 4t feet deep. The dam failed soon afterward, being almost entirely washed out, and ill 30 minutes' time the reservoir was empty. By the failure of the Schaeffer dam about 3,600 acre-feet of water was released into Beaver Creek within 30 minutes. This resulted in a veritable wall of water rushing down Beaver Creek and causing a flood in Arkanslls River. The sudden rush of water down the Ar- kansas swept all before it for several miles, or until the natural stor- age of the river channel reduced the peak. The grentest damage was caused near SWl1-llows, where several buildings and all freight cars stand~g on side tracks were washed aWllY. The following table shows the time the flood was observed at several points between the reservoir and Ptleblo: ' Observed time of flood of June 5, 1921, .<t severa! points between Schaeffer reservoir and P'ueblo.a Point or observation. Distance Time. below reservoir. Reservoir.... _. ........., ......... ..... ...... ......._...... ._......... ..... .... ./9.30 a. m. _.. Mouth olBeaver Creek............ ..... ... .... _. ....._ ........... ............... lO.4.'i 3. m.... Swallows............... ............ ........ .... .......... ................ _.. ... .111.30 a. m.... ~~~~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::'::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::I ~:~g~:::::: cDatafnrnished chiefly by Mr. Arthur O. RIdgway. ~lfilo. o 9 19 29 3-1 The distance of 9 miles down Beaver Creek was covered in It hours, an a,verage of 7.2 miles an hour. Down the Arkansas the flood · Colorado State Engineer Fifteenth Blenn. Rept.. p. 122. 1911. 84158"-22_2